After sending Leon to Hael with his promise to become a knight, Eva calculated the days until Leon’s return every morning when she opened her eyes.

“Charlotte, how many days are left until Leon returns?”

“2 years and 257 days, Miss.”

“Still that long?”

Eva was nearly neurotic from being unable to touch Leon’s hair, which should have been within reach.

“Miss Eva. I told you this yesterday. When greeting someone, place your left hand over your chest with your right hand on top. Switching hands would be impolite.”

“Why do we need such rules? Shouldn’t a greeting simply be warm and welcoming?”

Eva needed the comfort of touching Leon’s hair more than before, not only because Leon was gone, but also because she had entered Spartan etiquette training befitting a marchioness until Leon’s return.

“Charlotte, how many days are left now?”

“Oh, Miss. It’s still very, very far away.”

“I think I’ll die from missing Leon. What should I do?”

Even though the little miss who used to roam the hills in all directions every day had grown considerably taller and matured physically, her innate nature couldn’t change. However, since they couldn’t allow her to run around even as a marchioness, even Marquis Cloud, who usually laughed off his daughter’s antics, joined in restraining Eva.

The education seemed harsh for Eva, but when she finally began to take on the appearance of a lady thanks to that training, news arrived that Leon would return home after exactly three years.

“Charlotte! What day is today?”

“It’s the day Sir Leon returns, Miss.”

Leon had trained so diligently that he was returning not just with a knighthood, but with the position of vice commander of the Southern Knights Order, which oversaw four southern territories including Florin.

“When will he arrive? He should be here soon.”

She knew well in her mind that the distance from Hael to Florin would take at least two weeks of non-stop riding at full speed. Knowing this, Eva still went to the village entrance every day since hearing the news of Leon’s return. It was a spring day when peach blossoms were in full bloom, just like the day Leon had left.

What if his horse fell ill on the way or he encountered bandits? She had heard that certain regions received heavy rainfall before spring—what if he was delayed by those rains? As the expected arrival day approached, she became so anxious that she skipped meals to keep watch at the village entrance.

“He should arrive today at the latest, right?”

“Miss Eva, please go slowly. Even if he arrives today, we don’t know when.”

Eva rejected Charlotte’s offer to wait in her place and notify her when Leon arrived. Today too, she left home early. Leon, coming from Hael, would appear over the northern mountains. Eva, who had initially stood near the peach orchard with a view of the mountains, had now moved all the way to the mountain entrance.

She desperately wished to see Leon’s figure each time she blinked her eyes—whenever birds flew between trees or small animals made rustling sounds as they moved, she flinched countless times.

“Leon?”

How much time had passed? While the morning sun still lingered, the sound of galloping hooves came from beyond the mountains.

Could it be Leon? It must be Leon.

The moment her eyes sparkled, a dark brown horse appeared over the ridge. Though the dust cloud obscured the rider’s appearance, Eva knew it was Leon. No one else would ride at full speed toward this peaceful village.

“Leon!”

Despite having heard hundreds of times that she was no longer a child and shouldn’t run, Eva ran toward Leon at full speed as if she had never heard such advice in her life.

“Leon!!”

Eva hitched up her dress high enough to show her shins as it kept catching on her feet. Though her vision blurred with tears that filled her eyes, Eva didn’t stop.

“Eva!!”

Leon too, upon spotting Eva after crossing the hill, called out her name loudly. There was a risk of the horse flipping if he rode too fast down the slope, but he didn’t care at all.

As the horse approached Eva, Leon jumped off before it had fully stopped, threw aside his sword gifted by the emperor and everything else, then wrapped one arm around Eva’s waist and pulled her fully into his embrace. Due to Leon having grown much taller since his departure, Eva’s feet dangled slightly off the ground.

“Leon…… You’ve finally returned…… Leon, Leon…… Huh-huh……”

Her resolution to show a pretty face crumbled the moment she saw Leon, and once again Eva’s face was covered in tears. Leon too, despite holding Eva fully in his arms, seemed afraid of something, and though he embraced her tightly enough to break her, he was anxious and didn’t know what to do.

“Eva, that was dangerous. What if you had been hit by the horse while running like that?”

“Your horse would never hit me.”

Leon smiled as if in agreement. The sound of his laughter resonated from his chest to Eva’s cheek. At the familiar sound of Leon’s laughter, Eva shed tears once more.

If there had been any remaining speed and the horse standing in the distance might have collided with Eva, Leon would have pulled up the horse’s head there, even at the risk of falling and injuring himself.

“You weren’t crying all this time, were you? You’re only crying now because you’re happy to see me, right, Eva?”

“Leon…… Huh-ung. I thought I would die from missing you.”

At Eva’s so-characteristic trust in him and willingness to entrust everything to him, Leon carefully set Eva down. Then, as if he couldn’t believe Eva was really before his eyes, his eyes reddened. He caressed Eva’s soft face with both hands over and over, wiping away her tears.

Though she still sobbed like a child just as before he left, Leon felt dizzy holding Eva, whose face now showed a mature woman rather than a girl.

“Me too. Eva, I too…… missed you so much, longed for you so much…… Every day, I felt like I was suffocating to death.”

I love you. From the moment Leon first met Eva at the beach and she called him Leon with a smile until now, there hadn’t been a single moment when he didn’t love Eva.

That emotion had grown during their time apart to what seemed like the greatest possible extent, and now Leon felt as if he would die instantly if the Eva he newly reunited with moved even slightly away from him.

“Leon. You’ve become even more handsome while I couldn’t see you!”

As Eva stepped back briefly to examine Leon’s face and body for any injuries, her cheeks turned as pink as the peach blossoms behind her.

“Eva.”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry.”

Unable to contain himself any longer, Leon embraced Eva’s waist again and kissed her. Though Eva seemed surprised at first, she didn’t pull away.

Thus, their lips, intertwined at the entrance to the mountain where fresh leaves sparkled under the sunlight, showed no signs of parting. That moment was the first time Eva recognized Divlik as a complete man.

* * *

Finn, having finished dinner, was visibly hurrying more than usual. Though the dinner he had eaten excessively to make up for the lunch he had skipped while rushing back had not yet settled, he had already prepared bath water. He didn’t even give Divlik time to soak leisurely to relieve his travel fatigue.

As Divlik emerged early from the bathtub and dried his wet body, his eyes questioned why Finn was behaving this way. Finn scratched the back of his head and smiled.

“It’s the day you’ve been anticipating. We can’t risk awkwardly running into the deposed empress and ruining the mood by dawdling.”

“Is there even a mood to ruin?”

“Still. Who knows?”

It seemed that Finn, knowing what might happen between Divlik and Eva in this room, was embarrassed at the thought of facing them together. Divlik smiled genuinely for the first time in a while, finding Finn’s apparent nervousness cute despite telling him to just get on with it.

Though Finn had grown considerably over the five years and his frame had expanded, making him more a man than a boy now, he still seemed boyish in matters like this.

—Try touching him again. This time I’ll bite off not your nose but that thing!

Divlik remembered seeing Finn five years ago in the square of Floropel, about to be hanged. With his arms tied behind his back and a rope around his neck, Finn showed no fear as he yelled at Duke Hawin.

Duke Hawin, who ruled Floropel, was notorious for his preference for young children. Divlik had thought Finn might have been dragged to Hawin’s bedroom and was being punished for resisting. But that wasn’t the case.

—Who dares touch my brother! Did you think I’d let my brother be taken by someone like you?

Finn was in this situation because he had tried to save his brother Dean. Looking closer, there was a crying boy near the gallows. They were identical twin boys. Despite their identical faces, only Dean had been taken because Duke Hawin was a terrible man who “enjoyed making children cry.”

Divlik had willingly drawn his sword on the spot. There could be no more fitting place to embark on the path of rebellion against the emperor and nobles who had abandoned their people. Finn’s sincerity in rushing to save his brother despite knowing he might die had moved Divlik’s heart.

“I’ll retire early then. I’ll greet you tomorrow morning in the dining hall.”

Seeing Finn, who showed more loyalty than Divlik had asked for because he didn’t know better, made Divlik feel both grateful and sorry.

Would you still swear loyalty to me if you saw the depths of my thoughts?

“Please enjoy yourself thoroughly for all the time you’ve waited, Lord Divlik.”

After Finn left the bedroom with a respectful bow, Divlik sighed without realizing it.

Enjoy…… what?

Even facing the moment of taking Eva as he had initially planned didn’t bring him satisfaction. He couldn’t understand why he wished Finn had stayed longer and delayed this further. What interrupted Divlik’s aimless thoughts was a light knock.

“Lord Divlik. I’m coming in.”